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9/01/2006

BEARS: GAMEBREAKERS NOT NEEDED

The Trib's Don Pierson has a good column today about the Bears indifference to stud WRs. They did not draft a WR this year. They should have added one as well as drafted one of the many Tight Ends available in the draft this year, Des Clark's fine performance last night notwithstanding. I saw Leonard Pope make an excellent red zone TD catch against the Bears earlier in the preseason and it irritated me.

Pierson writes:

While nearly every other team in the NFL added receivers via free agency, trades or the draft, the Bears stood pat, hoping they would manufacture help for Muhsin Muhammad from within.

It hasn't happened, leaving the Bears alarmingly short at the biggest big-play position in football.

Mark Bradley was supposed to be fully recovered from a knee injury that cut short his promising rookie season.

He's nowhere near ready to play and limped off the field Thursday night with a hip bruise.

Currie was the hot name of the off-season, the track star whose rookie season was wiped out by injury. If the Bears could run a relay race in Green Bay, Currie might help. But he lost battles Thursday night to Cleveland reserve cornerback Daven Holly, a former Bears washout.

Bernard Berrian did not suit up because of a "bruised" knee. This did not seem to shock close observers of his career.

Justin Gage started opposite Muhammad and caught one pass for 11 yards before joining Muhammad on the sideline to give more playing time to Bradley, Currie and Rashied Davis, the converted defensive back from the Arena League who has been as reliable as any Bears receiver this preseason.

The Bears had needs at secondary, no doubt. And they chose to fill them via free agency and the draft. It's likely too much to ask a unit with basically a rookie QB, possibly a rookie RB and inexperienced WRs to be a playoff-caliber offense.

Let's face it--as good as any team's defense is, there are times your offense has to win it for you, specifically with big plays. The Bears may have plenty of big plays this season. But they could have ensured more of them by adding another Wide Receiver and a young Tight End.

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